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Course Descriptions

Ina Rojic '13
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Spanish | Portuguese

Spanish

SPAN 101 - Elementary Spanish I

Pronunciation, grammar essentials, conversation and reading. Three class hours a week plus one hour of tutorial. Minimal introduction to history and culture of hispanophone countries. For admission into SPAN 102, students must have completed 101, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C-.

Frequency: Every semester.


SPAN 102 - Elementary Spanish II

Pronunciation, grammar essentials, conversation and reading. Three class hours a week plus one hour of tutorial. Minimal introduction to history and culture of hispanophone countries. For admission into SPAN 203, students must have completed 102, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C-.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 101 with C- or better.


SPAN 110 - Accelerated Beginning Spanish

Accelerated Beginning Spanish meets the goals of Elementary Spanish I and II (SPAN 101 and SPAN 102) in one semester. It covers pronunciation, grammar essentials, conversation and reading. This course is appropriate for students with prior experience in Spanish or another language and for students who are highly self-motivated and/or able to learn foreign languages quickly. Successful completion allows enrollment in Intermediate Spanish I (SPAN 203) or Accelerated Intermediate Spanish (SPAN 220). Students will not receive credit for this course if they have previously taken or been awarded credit for SPAN 101 or SPAN 102. Three class hours a week plus two hours of tutorial.

Frequency: Fall semester.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. For admission into SPAN 203 or SPAN 220, students must have completed 110, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C-.


SPAN 151 - Caribbean Literature and Culture: Aesthetics of Resistance

Explore literary, visual and musical expressions of resistance against colonialism and neocolonialism in the Caribbean, and examine street performance as a means of redefining public space and creating community. Students will learn about the tensions between culture and capital. Offered as a First Year Course only.

Frequency: Occasionally.

Cross-Listed as: LATI 151


SPAN 194 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

SPAN 203 - Intermediate Spanish I

Intermediate Spanish extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Spanish. Three class hours a week plus one hour of tutorial. Formal introduction to history and culture of Hispanophone countries. For admission into SPAN 204, students must have completed 203, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C-.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 102 or SPAN 110, or an equivalent, with a minimum grade of C-.


SPAN 204 - Intermediate Spanish II

Intermediate Spanish II extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Spanish. Three class hours a week plus one hour of tutorial. Formal introduction to history and culture of Hispanophone countries.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 203, or its equivalent, with a grade of C- or better.


SPAN 220 - Accelerated Intermediate Spanish

Accelerated Intermediate Spanish meets the goals of Intermediate Spanish I (SPAN 203 ) and Intermediate Spanish II (SPAN 204) in one semester. It extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Spanish, and it introduces the history and culture of Hispanophone countries. This course is designed for students who have successfully completed SPAN 102 or SPAN 110, or have tested in at the intermediate level on the placement test. Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial. Successful completion with a minimum grade of C- allows enrollment in SPAN 305.

Frequency: Spring semester.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 102 or SPAN 110 or an equivalent earned with a minimum grade of C-, and permission of instructor. Students will not receive credit for this course if they have previously taken or been awarded credit for SPAN 203 and/or SPAN 204.


SPAN 294 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

SPAN 305 - Advanced Oral and Written Expression

This course serves as a bridge between the intermediate and advanced courses in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Its main objective is to improve oral and written communication while strengthening grammatical skills and deepening knowledge of Hispanic cultures. Conversations and written essays are based on the cultural and literary themes presented in the textbook, a novel or other literary work, and supporting videos and films. Other course activities vary according to instructors and can include individual and/or group presentations; interviews with native speakers; attending community events related to some celebration of the Hispanic world; or different forms of community engagement.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 204 or SPAN 220 with a minimum grade of C-, or permission of instructor.


SPAN 306 - Spanish for Heritage Speakers

This course is designed for heritage learners of Spanish: those who grew up speaking Spanish at home, with extended families and in their communities. These students are comfortable speaking Spanish, but their literacy in it was not necessarily developed by formal schooling. Leaning on all of their previous experience with the language, the course seeks to enrich and complement the students' linguistic repertoire by further developing their communicative abilities, both verbal and written, especially in an academic context. Class content will focus on Latin America and the U.S. Latinx population. Students will gain increased confidence in the language and will strengthen their identity as bilinguals and abilities to interact with a more diverse group of speakers, pursue higher-level courses and/or apply this knowledge in their professional endeavors, inside or outside the United States. This course is the equivalent to SPAN 305 for those interested in the Spanish major or minor. (Students cannot earn credit for both 305 and 306).

Frequency: Fall semester only.

Prerequisite(s): Course has no explicit prerequisite but is designed for those who grew up speaking Spanish at home, with extended families and in their communities.


SPAN 307 - Introduction to the Analysis of Hispanic Texts

This course presents the student with essential tools for the critical analysis of a broad range of topics and forms of cultural production (literature, cinema, art, e-texts, etc.) in the Hispanic world. It also teaches the student advanced language skills in written composition and public oral presentation. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306.

Cross-Listed as: LATI 307


SPAN 308 - Introduction to U.S. Latinx Studies

This course provides an interdisciplinary discussion of the Latinx experience in the United States with a focus on Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban- Americans. Using fiction, poetry, films and critical essays, we will examine issues of race and ethnicity, language, identity, gender and sexuality, politics, and immigration. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306.

Cross-Listed as: AMST 308 and LATI 308


SPAN 309 - Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics

A linguistic survey of the Spanish language aimed at improving pronunciation and increasing comprehension of the structure of the language, deepening students' understanding of the sound system, word formation, grammar and meaning. Study will emphasize phonetics and provide an introduction to transcription, phonology, morphology and syntax, as well as provide an overview of linguistic change and geographic variation. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Every year.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305, SPAN 306 or consent of instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LING 309


SPAN 316 - Mapping the New World: Exploration, Encounters, and Disasters

Europeans were by no means the first peoples to explore new territories and human populations. Renaissance scientific methodology, however, led European travelers to meticulously document each New World encounter in writing and develop new tools with which to navigate and represent space, devices that subsequently became weapons of colonial domination. But as Nature and indigenous populations refused to be subjected to European epistemology, failure and disaster were frequent events: shipwrecks left Old World survivors stranded among unknown lands and peoples in the Americas; Amerindians rejected the imposition of a foreign culture and religion, murdering colonists and missionaries; Africans rebelled against slavery and escaped to mountains and jungles to form autonomous communities. An examination of maps, exploration logs, missionary histories, travel literature, historiography and colonial documents will provide the foundation for this course on the ambivalent reality of the Old World's encounter with the Americas, in which Europeans were often the losers. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306 (though SPAN 307 recommended) and another 300-level Spanish course, or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LATI 316 and INTL 316


SPAN 325 - Dictators, Revolutions and Insurrections

Modern Hispanic cultural production in response to dictators, revolutions, and socio-political repression was varied and pointed. Students read a variety of contemporary authors and analyze how they represent social realities in discourse that reflects and informs societal changes. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306 and another 300-level Spanish course or consent of the instructor.


SPAN 330 - Advanced Spanish Grammar: Meaning and Communication

An overview of the intricacies of advanced Spanish grammar, providing extensive oral and written practice to improve students' grammatical accuracy as well as overall understanding of the structure of the language. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306.


SPAN 332 - Spanish in the United States

In this course, students will examine the different varieties of Spanish in the US and the effects of the linguistic contact between Spanish and English. Sociolinguistic aspects relevant to language contact will be addressed, as will related issues such as immigration patterns, bilingualism, Spanglish, and bilingual education. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306, and another 300-level Spanish course or consent of the instructor. SPAN 309 recommended.

Cross-Listed as: LING 332


SPAN 334 - Spanish in the Workplace

Regardless of the career path chosen, today's college graduates will likely use Spanish in their professions. If they can function in Spanish in the workplace in all four modalities (reading, writing, listening, speaking) and they have the cultural sensitivity to fulfill their responsibilities properly, they will have more professional choices and experiences. In this course students will acquire the knowledge of Spanish for use in the workplace, as well as insights into the cultures, traditions, values and practices related to the bilingual workplace in the US and abroad. Emphasis is placed on the fields of healthcare and medicine, education and social services, legal matters and law enforcement. Students pursue individual interests in specific career areas with a community involvement component. This course satisfies Area 3 of the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305, SPAN 306, or permission of the instructor. SPAN 309 recommended.


SPAN 343 - Culture and Politics in Spain from Civil War to Today

This course presents an overview of the evolution of life in Spain since the Civil War, death of Franco, through the socialist period and Spain's entry in the European Union until today. Art, music, literature and film will serve as the basis for lecture and discussions of some of Spain's current challenges and achievements, namely, unemployment, immigration, language and identity, women's rights, terrorism, the impact of the Euro on the economy and the relationship between Catalonia and the Spanish government today. Recommended for students who are planning to study abroad in Spain. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305, SPAN 306, or consent of the instructor. SPAN 307 recommended.


SPAN 354 - Here and There: Superando Limites

Living an identity that is multipositional is a familiar reality for many people in the 21st century. The seventeenth century Hispanic world reveals surprisingly diverse and complex societies in which literature-and sometimes life itself-provided a space for trying on different social clothes, so to speak, in an exploration of early modern identity. This course will allow students to enjoy prose, drama, poetry and historiography from both Spain and Spanish America and to witness how writers from both sides of the Atlantic were pushing aesthetic and societal limits of religion, ethnicity and gender in their writing. We view Baroque art from Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and colonial Mexico and Peru, and read some pertinent critical perspectives that will help enrich our readings of the literature. To bring the plays to life, students will select fragments of dramas to "rescript" and perform for their classmates. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 307 or consent of the instructor.


SPAN 355 - Cultural Resistance and Survival: Indigenous and African Peoples in Early Spanish America

In the Old World, Spain defined its national identity by locating its "others" in Jews, conversos , Muslims, moriscos , Turks, gypsies, pirates and Protestants. In the New World, Spaniards employed many of the same discursive and legal tactics-along with brute force-to subject Amerindian and African peoples to their will and their cultural norms. But indigenous and African populations in the Americas actively countered colonization. They rejected slavery and cultural imposition through physical rebellion, the use of strategies of cultural preservation and the appropriation of phonetic writing, which they in turn wielded against European hegemony. We will examine a fascinating corpus of indigenous pictographic codexes, architecture, myths, and histories and letters of resistance, along with a rich spectrum of texts in which peoples of African descent affirm their own subjectivity in opposition to slavery and cultural violence. What will emerge for students is a complex, heterogeneous vision of the conquest and early colonization in which non-European voices speak loudly on their own behalf. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 and another 300-level Spanish course or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LATI 355 and INTL 415


SPAN 357 - El Quijote as Timeless Text

Miguel de Cervantes' El ingenioso Don Quijote de la Mancha is one of the most beloved and influential literary texts in all of world literature. In this course, students will not only engage in a careful and delightful reading of the entire text, but will also examine limitations and literary creations inspired through time by the classic. In order to understand how Quijote was received according to historical moment, we will explore critical perspectives on the text from across the centuries. Students will enjoy myriad artistic representations of Don Quijote and view and critique contemporary musical and filmic productions inspired by the text. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 307 or consent of the instructor.


SPAN 359 - "Neither Saints Nor Sinners": Women Writers of the Early Modern Hispanic World

Sixteenth- and seventeenth- century women writers were in constant dialogue with their male counterparts and dedicated much of their energy to debunking myths of female purity, passivity and ignorance. To this end, they created female protagonists of great strength and integrity. Exploring themes such as life in the convent, the mujer varonil and the mujer vestida de hombre , we will look at many peninsular as well as New World women authors who were busy challenging both social and aesthetic norms in their writing. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 307 or consent of the instructor.


SPAN 360 - One Hundred Years of Plenitude: Modern and Postmodern Hispanic Fiction

The rise of modern fiction produced a series of remarkable novels in Latin America and Spain throughout the 20th century and into the present. The course will focus primarily on the Latin American "Boom" from the 1960s onwards. We will also study the appearance and enduring presence of postmodernism in Hispanic fiction. The course refines the analysis of literary works from a variety of perspectives (historical, political, social, ethical, aesthetic, etc.) and provides a comprehensive view of the evolution of Hispanic narrative from the dawn of modernity to the present. It targets those students who enjoy literature and believe in the pleasure of the text. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 307 or consent of the instructor.


SPAN 361 - The Fight Against Tradition: From the Enlightenment to the Avant-Garde

The course offers a panorama of Hispanic culture from the nineteenth century to the Spanish Civil War. It centers on the literature and the arts during the periods of the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, and the Avant-Garde. The period from 1800 to 1936 is crucial to the development of art. We will examine critical issues such as the limits of authority and the freedom of choice; the origins of modern subjectivity/ the pursuit of the ideal and the impossible; the conflict between individualism and nationalism, and that between empire and colonies; the rise of the bourgeoisie and the transition to a secular world; the crisis of reason; and the autonomy of art. Our goal will be to shed light on the Janus-faced mingling of progress with tradition that defines modernity in the Hispanic world. to this end, we will deal with the social, cultural, aesthetic and political dimensions that shape the evolution of literature and the arts during the 19th- and the first half of the 20th- centuries. This course satisfies the area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 307 or consent of the instructor.


SPAN 362 - Modern Hispanic Novel and the Visual Arts

We use an interdisciplinary approach to narrative that focuses on the cooperation between the written and the visual text. For example, how did nineteenth-century painting influenced the novel? Or, what are the connections between cinematic adaptations of narratives? We also consider the perennial dilemma of literal versus personal interpretation. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 307 or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LATI 362


SPAN 373 - Translation: Theory/Practice

This course is an introduction to the field of translation studies focusing on the linguistic, ethical, and cultural aspects of translation and interpretation. It aims to give students an understanding of the principles of translation and the role of the translator. It provides an opportunity to improve their language skills and to gain a deeper understanding of the intercultural aspects of the translation activity both in theory and practice. The cousre has a civic engagement component and is taught in partnership with a different community organization each semester (e.g. The Advocates for Human Rights, Centro Tyrone Guzman; James H. Binger Center for New Americans).

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 and two other 300-level Spanish courses.


SPAN 375 - History of the Spanish Language

An overview of Modern Spanish as it has developed over time. Course will trace the historical evolution of the most salient phonological, morpho-syntactic and lexical traits of Modern Spanish and will introduce some of the principle theories of language change. Concepts will be reinforced through work with authentic historical texts. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 309 or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LING 375


SPAN 376 - Spanish Dialectology

A survey of modern dialectal variations of Spanish and Peninsular Spanish varieties. Sociolinguistic issues and historical aspects of language will be addressed, along with other extralinguistic factors. Through this course, students will gain a linguistic understanding of the principal varieties of Modern Spanish. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 309 or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LING 376 and LATI 376


SPAN 377 - Applied Linguistics: Spanish Second Language Acquisition

An overview of research projects on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language. Students will learn about the theoretical approaches used in these studies as well as the effects of various pedagogical approaches on the development of Spanish interlanguage systems. While the focus of the course is on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language, students will gain a broad and useful understanding of different pedagogical issues directly related to the acquisition/learning process(es) of other second languages. This course satisfies the Area 3 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 309 or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LING 377


SPAN 382 - Constructing the Nation

The course focuses on the critical analysis of national stereotypes in literature and in othe forms of cultural representation known in many languages as Imagology. The course examines the role that textual artifacts have played in shaping the modern image of the Hispanic nations. These texts are sometimes canonical, highbrow manifestations such as novels, poems, or essays. More often though, they are stereotypes or symbols ingrained in the collective psyche of both the Hispanic and the non-Hispanic people: "toreros," " gitanas," "gauchos/as," "guitarras," "somebreros," "flamenco," "samba," "salsa," "fútbol," and many more. As cultural myths, their representational power has proven to be incredibly enduring beyond the time of their formation. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 307 or consent of the instructor.


SPAN 385 - Frontera: The U.S./Mexico Border

The border region between the United States and Mexico exists as both a physical space and an ideological construct. This seminar uses literary and filmic narratives to explore issues of identity, opportunity, and violence that arise from this contested space. How does the border shape individual and cultural identities? In what ways does the border create opportunities for both advancement and exploitation? How do these works engage conflicts and tensions of race, nationalism, gender, and power? The course will include writers and filmmakers from both countries, and we will read original texts both in Spanish and English. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 308 or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: AMST 445 and LATI 385


SPAN 386 - Constructions of a Female Killer

Explorations of the relationship between women and violence typically take place from the perspective of women as victims. However, how does the discourse change when the traditional paradigm is inverted and we explore women as perpetrators of violence? This seminar examines representations of women who kill in Latin American and Latino narratives (including novels, short stories, films, and newspapers). Drawing on feminist theory, media studies, criminology, and literary criticism, we will seek to understand the ways women's violence has been read and framed in contemporary society as well as how their violence intersects with discussions of nationalism, race, class, and gender. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement for the Spanish major.

Frequency: Generally taught alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 307 or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LATI 386 and WGSS 346


SPAN 387 - Latinx in the Midwest

This course uses literature, film, and scholarly works to explore the Latinx experience in the Midwest. We will examine how this population creates and sustains community, constructs their own sense of Latinidad, and how that identity and its cultural practices are informed by and impact the region. Events involving the Twin Cities' Latinx communities will enrich our learning and discussions. This course satisfies the Area 2 requirement of the Spanish major.

Frequency: Alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 308

Cross-Listed as: AMST 387 and LATI 387


SPAN 394 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

SPAN 488 - Senior Seminar

The senior seminar is a capstone course that explores in depth a shifting field of topics. It helps students relate the subjects they have studied in their major field and assists students in demonstrating their familiarity with Hispanic cultures and in methods of analysis and presentation, culminating in the preparation and presentation of a major research project. It is primarily a discussion course that relies heavily on individual as well as collective effort. Required for Spanish majors. Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): For Spanish majors; to be completed in the final semester.


SPAN 494 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

SPAN 601 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


SPAN 602 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


SPAN 603 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


SPAN 604 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


SPAN 611 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


SPAN 612 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


SPAN 613 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


SPAN 614 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


SPAN 621 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Spanish numbered SPAN 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.


SPAN 622 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Spanish numbered SPAN 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.


SPAN 623 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Spanish numbered SPAN 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.


SPAN 624 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Spanish numbered SPAN 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.


SPAN 631 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.


SPAN 632 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.


SPAN 633 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.


SPAN 634 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.


Portuguese

PORT 111 - Accelerated Beginning Portuguese

Intensive instruction in speaking, understanding, reading and writing Portuguese. Brazilian usage emphasized. Successful completion with a minimum grade of C- allows enrollment in the second level Portuguese course, PORT 221. Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial.

Frequency: Fall semester.


PORT 194 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

PORT 221 - Accelerated Intermediate Portuguese

This course covers the second year of Portuguese in one semester. It extends and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Portuguese, and it introduces the history and culture of Lusophone countries. Brazilian usage emphasized. This course is appropriate for students who have taken PORT 111 or for highly self-motivated students with appropriate prior experience in Portuguese. Successful completion allows enrollment in PORT 331. Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial. Successful completion of this course satisfies the college language requirement.

Frequency: Spring semester.

Prerequisite(s): PORT 111 with a minimum grade of C- or consent of the instructor.


PORT 231 - Intensive Portuguese for Spanish Speakers

This fast-paced and intensive course is designed for highly self-motivated students with upper-intermediate level skills or higher in Spanish or in another Romance language. It introduces and deepens awareness and use of linguistic functions in Portuguese (speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills) while introducing the history and culture of Lusophone countries and communities worldwide. Completion of this course with a C- or higher allows enrollment in PORT 331. Three class hours per week plus two hours of tutorial.

Frequency: Spring semester only.

Prerequisite(s): SPAN 305 or SPAN 306 or permission of instructor.


PORT 294 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

PORT 331 - Journeys through Brazil

Primarily designed to improve oral communication and to strengthen students' written proficiency and their awareness of grammar intricacies in Portuguese. In relation to writing, it serves as a bridge to upper-level courses. Conversations and compositions are based on the civilization and cultures of Brazil, which despite its continental size and being among the largest world economies, remains a mystery to many. This course explores the socio-historical, political and cultural trajectory Brazil has undertaken while, at the same time, reflecting on how ideas such as nation, identity, race, ethnicity, and class have transformed the face of the country. A wide array of texts and materials -literature, music, painting, sculpture, architecture, dance, and cinema- is used to gain a broad and critical understanding of the Brazilian universe. It involves extensive reading appropriate to the level.

Frequency: Spring semester.

Prerequisite(s): PORT 221 or consent of the instructor.

Cross-Listed as: LATI 331


PORT 341 - Voices from the Margins: Afro-Brazilian Women Writers

This course focuses on the writing of black women writers from Brazil. We will study the history of race relations in Brazil as the framework of the struggle of Afro-Brazilian women against invisibility and injustice. We will analyze a wide array of texts, which revolve around the experiences and the position Black women have traditionally had within Brazilian society and the way they are now contesting such circumstances and roles through literature, music, art, theater, folklore, Afro-Brazilian religion, and cinema. Students will learn about "escrevivência", the process of writing the experience of the marginalized and the oppressed.

Frequency: Spring semester.

Prerequisite(s): PORT 331


PORT 351 - Contemporary Texts from the Portuguese-Speaking Communities of Africa, Asia, and Oceania

This course will critically approach a selection of short stories, poems, music, and a wide array of texts from Portuguese-speaking communities in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The selection of texts focuses on literary and cultural work produced in the 20th century and the early 21st century. We will analyze the evolution of literary and cultural production within the colonial and postcolonial contexts of these societies.

Frequency: Alternate years.

Corequisite(s): This discussion-based class requires active participation and completion of PORT 331, or instructor permission.


PORT 381 - Portugal Meets 'the Other', Overseas: Portuguese Navigators from the 15th to 17th Century

In this course we will read travel accounts, official historiography, and literature from the period in which Portugal became the first European overseas empire. The Portuguese linked continents and cultures as never before traveling by sea; indeed this process can be understood as the first globalization because of the cultural cross-pollination that Portugal's voyages stirred up. We will focus on analyzing the way in which the Portuguese managed to portray 'the Other' by two contrary discourses: Portugal's providential mission, and the race for economical profit through trade and war in Africa and the Middle and Far East. We will also study the appropriation and resignification of these matters on works of literature and visual arts produced in the contemporary era. This course satisfies the Area 1 requirement for the Spanish major.

Prerequisite(s): PORT 331 .


PORT 394 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

PORT 494 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

PORT 601 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


PORT 602 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


PORT 603 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


PORT 604 - Tutorial

Category varies.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


PORT 611 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


PORT 612 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


PORT 613 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


PORT 614 - Independent Project

Category varies. Not available to substitute regularly offered courses.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.


PORT 621 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.


PORT 622 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.


PORT 623 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.


PORT 624 - Internship

Category 3.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses in Hispanic Studies numbered 204 or above and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.


PORT 631 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.


PORT 632 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.


PORT 633 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.


PORT 634 - Preceptorship

Preceptorships give students the opportunity to observe and practice teaching skills. Available to highly accomplished students.

Prerequisite(s): Some background reading and training in foreign language teaching and permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.